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Sexual Assault & Misconduct  —  Immediate Response

Immediate Response

If you have experienced a sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, please consider the following emergency contacts:

  1. Your safety is important. Find a place where you are safe from further harm.
    • If you are in immediate danger, please contact:
      • Goshen City Police Department: 911. The Goshen City Police Department will respond by sending an officer to the location you tell them. The officer will ask you questions and collect information about the assault. They can also help you go to a safe place or to the emergency room.
      • On-Call Resident Directors this year are myself, Kevin Schultz, Jordan Blank, and Paige Renshaw. (Emily is listed in the paragraph following the OCRD phone number).
      • On-Call Administrator (574-326-7273): 24-hour availability to help you connect to emergency resources and safety measures. The on-call administrators are the resident directors: Chandler Buchfeller, Kevin Schultz, Jordan Blank, and Campus Events coordinator Henrique Castelhano Eichenberger. They are also Campus Security Authorities and will connect you to the Title IX Coordinator Patty Hartshorn for further assistance.
        Chandler Buchfeller View Profile

        Chandler Buchfeller

        Director of Residence Life and Housing

        Kevin Schultz View Profile

        Kevin Schultz

        Assistant Director of Residence Life and Housing

        Jordan Blank View Profile

        Jordan Blank

        Resident Director

        Henrique Castelhano Eichenberger View Profile

        Henrique Castelhano Eichenberger

        Campus Activities Coordinator

      • Campus Safety (574.535.7599): 24-hour availability to support your immediate safety. Campus Safety officers Zeke Kingsbury, Doug Crum, Kris Polega and Carlos Escalante, Dakota Blaise, and Campus Safety Director Chad Coleman are also Campus Security Authorities.
    • Once you are in a safe place, please remember that
      • It is not your fault.
      • You have choices regarding what steps to take and at what pace.
      • You have options to ensure your safety, health, and well-being.
      • GC employees are available to help you, 24 hours a day.
  2. Whatever steps you take, consider reaching out to someone you trust. A friend, family member, or other trusted individual may be able to help you find resources and support for you. If you don’t have someone you trust, contact the Confidential Resource people: Kendra Yoder and Emily Osborne. If you are at Merry Lea, GC’s environmental learning center, you can consult Kaitlyn Sproles for confidential assistance. Student Life staff and all GC employees will help connect you to resources. You can also contact any Student Life Staff or the Title IX Deputy Coordinator, Aja Ellington, at any point.
  3. Consider seeking medical attention:
    • One option is to go directly to Goshen Health Hospital and Emergency Room at 200 High Park Avenue (574-533-2141). You can ask an On-Call Resident Director or a trusted friend to go with you.
    • The Saint Joseph Forensic Department and Emergency Room, located in Mishawaka about 45 minutes west of Goshen) are available for medical assistance, as well as sexual assault medical exams by specifically trained sexual assault nurse examiners (also referred to as SANE nurses) (https://www.sjmed.com/forensic-department).
    • The Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Treatment Center, located an hour southwest of Goshen, is a valuable resource. Their web pages include helpful links to resources as well (https://www.fwsatc.org/).
    • At the hospital, a nurse or physician will help you consider options such as a medical exam to collect evidence.
      • If you are considering having a medical exam, please do not bathe, shower, brush your teeth, or change clothing. Do not use the toilet, but if you must, do not wipe with toilet paper.
      • Evidence can be for several days following a sexual assault.
      • It is important to know that the medical exam will be invasive, so consider taking a support person with you.
      • Police involvement is optional even if you have a medical exam; you can still have evidence collected and saved at the emergency room, even if you do not want an investigation.
    • You could contact Goshen Family Physicians (574.534.8200 between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm; 574.534.0050 after hours for the on-call physician).
    • You may also speak to a trained sexual assault advocate 24/7 by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1 (800) 332-7385, to speak to an advocate online or RAINN, 1(800) 656-4673.
  4. Consider reporting to law enforcement if you are a victim of a crime: You can call 911 for emergency help or contact the Goshen Police Department Non-Emergency Dispatch (574-533-4151). Officer Nick Kauffman is the Goshen Police Department Liaison for Goshen College (574-400-5178).
    If you want to report a sexual assault:

    • Preserve evidence: Don’t bathe or brush your teeth; if you have changed your clothing, preserve it in a paper bag; if the assault took place in your home, do not rearrange or clean up anything.
    • Collecting evidence and contacting the police closer to the time of the assault increases the chances of successful investigation and potential prosecution.
    • Write down the details about the assault and perpetrator as soon as you feel comfortable.

As you consider the next steps, please know that there are people trained and ready to support you. Consider contacting these non-emergency resources for sexual assault or any form of sexual misconduct.

If you have experienced sexual violence–domestic or dating violence or stalking– or are a survivor of sexual assault, you have the following specific rights under the law and the policies of Goshen College:

  • to have a friend or support person with you for any and all stages of gaining assistance and/or formal reporting of the crime;
  • to notify proper law enforcement authorities, including the local police;
  • to seek an order of protection, no contact order, restraining order, or similar lawful order issued by a criminal or civil court or enforce an order already in existence; Goshen College will help you connect to the Elkhart County Victim Assistance Services;
  • to talk with any Goshen College employee about Goshen College’s process to file a report with the Title IX Coordinator and request support;
  • to request accommodations needed for your safety and support (including a change in housing, class schedule, employment, or travel);
  • to receive assistance with locating available resources, including medical care, counseling or other mental health services, and spiritual guidance and support; and,
  • to have your confidentiality and privacy protected according to our policy definitions.